1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a training device for subjecting a joint, starting from a hand joint, to continuous flexion and extension motions.
2. Description of Related Art
In the case of fracture or operation of a joint, it is important to ensure that a movable region of a joint at an early stage, avoids extra-articular contracture and to alleviate tumefaction or pain after operation. As a method of rehabilitation therefor, conventionally a continuously and externally driven motion training of a joint has been used.
In is preferable to carry out the training of a joint under continuously and externally driven motions by a proper motional amount necessary for training without exerting unreasonable force on organism of a patient. In particular, the motion of a joint is not a uniaxial but a multiaxial rotary compound motion, so a feasible motional amount is not uniform and possesses considerable individual differences. Thus, the proper amount of motion considerably reflects an individual and the symptom of that individual.
Accordingly in a device for such a training, a drive motor is installed on a mounting piece for mounting the device at a location in the vicinity of a joint, a swing arm is installed on a mounting piece or a grip for mounting to a free end side of a front portion of a joint, and the swing arm is reciprocated by the drive motor. However, in the conventional device of this kind, in respect of a motional range for training, a swing angle of the swing arm can only be mechanically sets such that a swing angle of a flexing side is set to 0 through .alpha..degree. and that of an extending side is set to 0 through .beta..degree. by an angle setting dial regardless of what degree of a feasible motional range is actually provided to a patient.
Therefore, when continuously and externally driven motion for training of a joint is actually carried out, it is necessary to operate a swing arm to gradually widen a movable angular range. The swing arm is operated by setting it firstly to a narrow movable angular range, and if a patient does not suffer pain in that range, the setting is changed to a pertinently wider movable angular range and the swing arm is operated again. Accordingly, this poses a problem in that much time and labor is needed until a proper motional range is set and a patient may suffer pain by setting an excessive angle.
Further, in a conventional device, there is a problem that a swing arm can carry out only a simple uniaxial swing motion and therefore, the motion does not match with the actual motion of a joint and extra stress is imposed on the affected part.